HANNAHVILLE, Mich. (WZMQ) – In observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, members of the Hannahville Indian Community met to preserve Potawatomi language with an afternoon of fun.
The Potawatomi Heritage Center hosts Shi Shi Be—or bingo—each quarter. However, in place of letters and numbers, players fill their sheets with Potawatomi vocabulary words.
“Instead of the traditional B-I-N-G-O, we use animals,” explained Molly Meshigaud, Culture Director for Hannahville Indian Community. “We’ll have porcupine, which is ‘ge te mi,’ or ‘as pen,’ which is racoon.”
Meshigaud says Shi Shi Be is an entertaining way to help community members of all ages learn and retain the Potawatomi language.
“Language and culture go together,” said Meshigaud. “You can’t have one without the other. Our language is dying; we don’t have a lot of fluent speakers. We have 14 different Tribes of Potawatomi, and all of them are actively working on preserving our language. Without our language, we lose who we are.”
Shi Shi Be prizes included cultural items, like materials to make ribbon skirts, which many will wear to the Potawatomi Heritage Center’s annual Spirit Feast on Halloween. For details on the Spirit Feast, click here.
